How well do parents and caregivers understand growth and maturation in children aged 4 to 18 in Malta? A quantitative cross-sectional study.

You are invited to take part in a short, anonymous research survey about how parents and legal guardians in Malta understand children’s growth and maturation. The survey is for parents and legal guardians aged 18 or over who have at least one child aged 4 to 18 living in Malta or Gozo. It takes about ten to twelve minutes.

In short

• Taking part is voluntary. Choosing not to take part will not disadvantage you or your child.
• You can skip any substantive question and stop before submitting. You can withdraw before submitting by closing the browser or leaving the survey unsubmitted; no form or explanation is needed.
• Once you have submitted an anonymous response, that response cannot be withdrawn because no name, contact details or participant withdrawal code is collected.
• The survey may temporarily save progress. Unsubmitted responses will not be analysed and will be automatically deleted after 7 days of no edits.
• No names or contact details are requested. Please do not include anything that could identify you or your child.
• This is not a medical assessment or an assessment of your parenting; some questions ask about your knowledge. No name, diagnosis or physical measurement is requested, and your child will not be contacted.
• The required consent at the start covers survey participation only. A separate optional question after consent asks whether your anonymous answers may be used in the MSc dissertation and resulting presentations or publications, with findings reported in grouped form. You can continue with the survey whichever answer you choose. If you answer No, your answers may remain recorded anonymously but will be excluded from those uses during data cleaning.

How will my data and privacy be protected?

Qualtrics will be configured to exclude IP addresses and geolocation from the research response dataset; hosting and survey providers may process technical information to operate their services. Access to responses is restricted to the researcher and supervisor through University systems, with service providers processing information as needed to provide those systems. Research exports are stored in Cardiff Met OneDrive. Responses will be retained for ten years after the programme end date and then securely deleted under University procedures.

The survey link you used may include a short label showing only the type of channel it was shared through (for example, social media or email). This label is stored with your answers so that the researcher can see which channels reach parents. It does not identify you, the person who shared the link or any organisation.

If you reached the survey through a social media post or advert, the platform (for example Facebook or Instagram) may record that you saw the post or clicked the link, under its own privacy policy. The research team will not share your survey answers with these platforms or attempt to match their engagement information to your answers. No advertising pixel will be added to the survey.

Study video

Short study video in English.

Take part

Ethics status

This study has received written ethics approval from Cardiff Metropolitan University (ESSH Ethics), reference PGT-13327, approved on 10 November 2026. Version 4, 10 November 2026.

Prefer Maltese? Ħu sehem bil-Malti.

Who is running the study

Researcher: Marvic Debono Le Prevost, MSc Youth Athletic Development, Cardiff Metropolitan University.
Supervisor: Dr John Radnor.

Some invitations appear on the researcher’s My Personal Trainer Malta business accounts or website. This is University research, and choosing whether to take part will not affect any coaching service or your child’s opportunities at school or club.

What will happen to the results?

After analysis, a short summary of grouped findings will be posted on the researcher’s social media pages and study page at mypersonaltrainermalta.com/parents-knowledge-growth-maturation/. There is no email sign-up and no need to provide contact details to see the summary.

If you have concerns

If you have any concerns about your child’s growth or wellbeing, you can speak to your family doctor or contact Malta’s national Supportline on 179.

Contact and complaints

If you have questions about the study, contact the researcher, Marvic Debono Le Prevost (st20342401@outlook.cardiffmet.ac.uk), or the supervisor, Dr John Radnor (jradnor@cardiffmet.ac.uk). If you wish to raise a concern or complaint about how the study has been conducted, please contact the Cardiff Metropolitan University ESSH Ethics team at ESSHEthics@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

Inti mistieden/mistiedna tieħu sehem fi stħarriġ ta’ riċerka, qasir u anonimu, dwar kemm il-ġenituri u l-kustodji legali f’Malta jifhmu t-tkabbir u l-maturazzjoni tat-tfal. L-istħarriġ huwa għall-ġenituri u l-kustodji legali ta’ 18-il sena jew aktar li għandhom mill-inqas wild wieħed ta’ bejn 4 u 18-il sena li jgħix f’Malta jew Għawdex. Jieħu madwar għaxar sa tnax-il minuta.

Fil-qosor

• Il-parteċipazzjoni hija volontarja. Jekk ma tipparteċipax, dan ma jagħmillekx żvantaġġ.
• Tista’ taqbeż kwalunkwe mistoqsija sostantiva jew tieqaf qabel tibgħat it-tweġibiet billi tagħlaq il-brawżer; m’hemmx bżonn formola.
• Ladarba tibgħat risposta anonima, ma tistax tiġi rtirata għax ma jinġabar l-ebda isem, dettall ta’ kuntatt jew kodiċi ta’ rtirar.
• L-istħarriġ jista’ jsalva l-progress temporanjament. Tweġibiet mhux mibgħuta ma jiġux analizzati u jitħassru awtomatikament 7 ijiem wara l-aħħar darba li editjajt l-istħarriġ.
• Ma jintalbu ebda ismijiet jew dettalji ta’ kuntatt. Jekk jogħġbok tinkludix ismijiet jew dettalji li jidentifikaw.
• Dan mhuwiex eżami mediku jew valutazzjoni tiegħek bħala ġenitur; xi mistoqsijiet jistaqsu dwar l-għarfien tiegħek. Ma jintalabx isem, dijanjosi jew kejl fiżiku, u t-tifel/tifla ma jiġix ikkuntattjat.
• Il-kunsens meħtieġ fil-bidu jkopri biss il-parteċipazzjoni fl-istħarriġ. Mistoqsija fakultattiva separata wara l-kunsens tistaqsi jekk it-tweġibiet anonimi tiegħek jistgħux jintużaw fid-dissertazzjoni tal-MSc u fi preżentazzjonijiet jew pubblikazzjonijiet li jirriżultaw minnha; ir-riżultati jiġu rrappurtati fi gruppi. Tista’ tkompli bl-istħarriġ tkun xi tkun it-tweġiba. Jekk twieġeb Le, it-tweġibiet tiegħek jistgħu jibqgħu rreġistrati b’mod anonimu iżda jiġu esklużi minn dawk l-użi waqt it-tindif tad-data.

Kif tiġi protetta d-data tiegħi?

Qualtrics tiġi kkonfigurata biex teskludi l-indirizzi IP u l-ġeolokalizzazzjoni mid-dataset tar-riċerka; il-fornituri tal-hosting u tal-istħarriġ jistgħu jipproċessaw informazzjoni teknika biex joperaw is-servizzi tagħhom. L-aċċess għat-tweġibiet huwa ristrett għar-riċerkatur u s-superviżur permezz tas-sistemi tal-Università, bil-fornituri tas-servizz jipproċessaw informazzjoni skont il-ħtieġa biex jipprovdu dawk is-sistemi. L-esportazzjonijiet tar-riċerka jinħażnu f’OneDrive ta’ Cardiff Met. It-tweġibiet jinżammu għal għaxar snin wara d-data tat-tmiem tal-programm u mbagħad jitħassru b’mod sigur skont il-proċeduri tal-Università. Label tal-kanal (src) jista’ jinħażen mat-tweġibiet mingħajr ma jidentifikak.

Vidjo tal-istudju

Vidjo qasir dwar l-istudju bil-Malti.

Ħu sehem

Etika

Dan l-istudju ġie approvat bil-miktub mill-Kumitat tal-Etika tar-Riċerka ta’ Cardiff Metropolitan University. Referenza: PGT-13327. Verżjoni 4, 10 ta’ Novembru 2026.

Tippreferi l-Ingliż? Take the survey in English.

Min qed jistaqsi

Riċerkatur: Marvic Debono Le Prevost, MSc Youth Athletic Development, Cardiff Metropolitan University.
Superviżur: Dr John Radnor.

Xi stedini jidhru fuq il-kontijiet tan-negozju My Personal Trainer Malta tar-riċerkatur jew fuq il-websajt. Din hija riċerka universitarja; jekk tipparteċipax ma jaffettwax servizz ta’ coaching jew l-opportunitajiet tat-tifel/tifla tiegħek.

X’se jiġri mir-riżultati?

Sommarju qasir jidher fuq il-paġni soċjali u l-paġna tal-istudju wara l-analiżi. M’hemmx reġistrazzjoni bl-email u m’hemmx bżonn tagħti dettalji ta’ kuntatt biex tara s-sommarju.

Jekk għandek xi tħassib

Jekk għandek xi tħassib dwar it-tkabbir jew il-benesseri tat-tifel/tifla tiegħek, tista’ tkellem lit-tabib tal-familja jew iċċempel lis-Supportline nazzjonali fuq 179.

Kuntatt u ilmenti

Mistoqsijiet: Marvic Debono Le Prevost (st20342401@outlook.cardiffmet.ac.uk) jew Dr John Radnor (jradnor@cardiffmet.ac.uk). Ilment dwar kif sar l-istudju: ESSHEthics@cardiffmet.ac.uk.